Another Altaverse Trilogy
by Rurouni J
Summary: In a different universe, characters we almost know are struggling with a difficult and intertwined past, as well as an uncertain future. *Mystery, Action and a hint of Romance* (Fixed title errors)
1. Once is Happenstance

All your Tenchi Muyo are belong to AIC/Pioneer....  
Seriously tho: Tenchi Muyo and its characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer. I am using them here without permission.  
Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!  
  
ATTENTION: This is rated R!  
This means that the story contains references to sex, and/or graphic violence and bad language. (Equivalent of "Lime")  
  
Notes:  
This story takes place in an altaverse to TM!Universe.  
You will find that while this universe is based on the TM!Universe (aka first TV-series), it is radically different from anything you know. The characters are mostly themselves, but different relationships and youth may have changed them.  
  
  
This is first part of the Another Altaverse Trilogy.  
The title of the trilogy is humbly nominated to the "Worst Fanfic Title of the Year" award.  
  
The chapter titles are based on a quote from Ian Flemming, which I unfortunately got wrong in my first version. It has been corrected now. (Thanks, Draculthemad!)  
  
  
-  
  
Another Altaverse Trilogy  
Part: 1  
  
Once is Happenstance  
  
-  
  
"Very good Masaki-san, now if you'd please dock at position C12."   
  
The female voice was clear and pleasant with an undertone of command in it. The trained ear could also detect a trace of tiredness in the voice. Something saying "God, what did I do to deserve this?".  
  
Tenchi adjusted the antigrav thrusters of the ship, and it slowly made it's way to the dock intended by the official. The AutoNav could easily dock the ship at the push of a button, but a pilot's license required the ability to dock without the aid of automated systems. This was why Tenchi was currently forced to manually oversee the ship on its approach to the Nuos Star port.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, Tenchi examined the GP official monitoring the test. She had long teal hair, contrasting the red headband she wore nicely. Even if in standard issue GP uniform, it was obvious that her body was something other women would kill for.  
  
While Tenchi did find her attractive, he had other things to worry about. First of all he was in a tricky part of his final pilot test. Secondly he could be honest with himself: she was older than him, and he would never work up the courage to even offer her a cup of coffee after the test.  
  
Tenchi concentrated on the controls again, as the ship approached the designated dock.  
  
---=-=---  
  
An explosion rattled the station.  
  
"Commander! We are under attack."  
  
"Raise the shield immediately. Find out who is attacking us."  
  
"The shield is inoperative. It was the first unit to suffer damage."  
  
"I can detect the sub-space ripple from our attacker, but the WR-scanner is drawing a blank. Whoever it is, they are invisible to us."  
  
Another explosion reverberates through the station. This time closer to the command center.  
  
"The long range communications array has been damaged."  
  
"Get a visual of the ship as soon as possible. Track the trajectory of the incoming shots if possible."  
  
"The power has dropped to 85%"  
  
"Visual contact established."  
  
"On screen 3."  
  
At the commanders orders, the large center screen flickered a moment. Then it changed to an external camera. On the screen an unreal crystalline construct hovered amidst the stars. It was close to pitch black, and visible only because of the light reflecting in the jagged crystals. It seemed to be perfectly still in the center of the display, but the moving stars in the background told of its great speed. Shortly after multicolored motes of light faded in around one of the crystal spikes. Gathering around it, they increased in density until a beam of light lashed out. At the same moment another part of the space station shattered and exploded.  
  
The commander watched in eerie silence, his face pale from recognition of the ship.  
  
"By Finagle....we're doomed."  
  
---=-=---  
  
The view from the stylish office was stunning. The entire back wall fashioned the 3rd planet of the Amneg system, floating in the velvet black space, stars glittering in the background.  
  
From Tenchi's seat, the only obstruction of the view was the huge polished desk and fancy swivel-chair. The view, like the desk and chair, belonged to Onez Praw - the owner of Nuos General Technology and Shipping. A medium-sized company dealing with inter-system trade. He was also Tenchi's employer.  
  
"Congratulations on the license and your new job. Why don't you take the rest of day off to celebrate with your friends, and I'll have a your first shipment ready for tomorrow."  
  
"Hai, Praw-san. Thank you. I will."  
  
Tenchi bowed gratefully and left the office. He was excited about the job, even if it was only transporting cargo. He was going to fly his own ship, and that was far more interesting than why.  
  
In the corridor he met Amagasaki along with other of his friends.   
  
"Hi Tenchi! I heard you got it. Congrats!"  
  
"Thanks Amagasaki. It really wasn't that difficult. The official was very nice."  
  
"Yeah, I saw her. I got stuck with a blonde. She was a total babe, but I thought she would never stop talking. That and she was probably worse at planetary landings than me.."  
  
"Ouch. I can imagine."  
  
"Oh well, we got down safely. And in her embarrassment she decided I could have a license anyway since I was 'such a nice boy'. Hay.. how about we grab a dinner at the 'Dragon'. I hear they got rigellian-style sushi."  
  
Soon they moved down the corridor in the direction of the commercial section.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Down somewhere in the corridors of the station the sounds of a fire fight echoed through the halls. The action was brief, and a few screams later everything fell silent.  
  
"Commander. Ertsnatz' group is not responding to any calls."  
  
Sweat was evident on the commanders face. That was the last of their 3 combat groups, all gone in the space of a few minutes. There was no way anything could have encountered them all now without intentionally hunting them down.  
  
"Seal the bridge."  
  
The heavy steel doors shut with a hydraulic hiss. Shortly after they were hit from the other side. The metal buckled, and melted where it was hit.  
  
"Blast doors! Close the blast doors now!"  
  
The bulky durabyllium alloy doors closed, blocking the view of the collapsing steel doors.  
  
Everything was silent. The commander could hear the hasty breathing of his crew members as they gazed at the only thing between them and oblivion. The blast doors gave no sign of being attacked.  
  
Then in an impossible moment the crew watched in disbelief as their predator walked literally through the door.  
  
---=-=---  
  
"Good morning Tenchi-san. I heard you got your license, congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks Mirei-san. Has the shipping papers arrived yet?"  
  
"Yes, they are on your desk. Praw-san requested that you be given an easy first flight, so it seems you are going to the western arm."  
  
"That was nice of him. I better go see the details."  
  
Tenchi made his way to his desk, and studied his assignment. Apparently he would be flying superconductors for a private project in the backwaters of the western spiral arm of the galaxy. Fairly simple indeed. The cargo was in no way delicate or expensive, the traffic on the route should be light, and the low density of stars should help navigation considerably.  
  
He signed the papers and made his way to the docking bays owned by the company. He was fortunate enough to be flying a ship of the exact type he had taken his license in, so he expected a minimum of problems.  
  
---=-=---  
  
"I don't need any problems from you now."  
  
The captain gulped as he looked into the feline golden eyes staring at him with open hostility.  
  
"Just tell me. Where. Is. My. Chocolate."  
  
The control room was a battlefield. Everything not melted or exploded had scorch marks. The ozone was thick in the air, and the buzzing of destroyed circuitry was the only sound.  
  
He felt a slight tingling under his skin where she had pointed the firepike. He knew it was the stabilizing field that would channel the plasma blast from the weapon as soon as it was fully formed.  
  
"I-It wi-will arrive s-soon."  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi cast a glance at the HyperNav. He would arrive soon.  
  
So far the trip had been easy enough. He had of course been nervous about his first flight, but he had been able to enjoy it so far. He almost found that the remaining 10 minutes to the Akodon space station were too short time.  
  
A warning light lit up on his screen.  
  
"Warp space turbulence? Out here? Someone must really have been burning fuel here."  
  
He strapped himself to the chair, and soon after the ship began shaking. The shaking got worse as he approached his exit point, and he could feel the tremor dampeners working on overtime to compensate. Two minutes from his destination the turbulence stopped abruptly, and the warning lights died down.  
  
The schematics of the ship showed no damage, and Tenchi made his way down to the cargo bay to check on the shipment.   
  
"Good thing I am transporting superconductors. The ship would shake apart before they could be damaged."  
  
Opening the door to the cargo bay, Tenchi surveyed the damage. A single crate had gotten loose during the shake. The control panel on the crate had been destroyed from a collision, and had somehow opened the crate.  
  
"Nani..."  
  
The contents of the crate was scattered throughout the room, and it certainly was not superconductors. Tenchi picked up a one of the damaged cardboard boxes from the floor and studied the writing. It was in a language he never thought he would see again.  
  
On the lid of the box the contents was described in Earth-english.  
  
"Chocolate...?"  
  
---=-=---  
  
"Maybe that would teach them not to steal an honest pirates chocolate."  
  
Ryoko walked towards the remains of the control center in an irritated mood.  
  
"Seriously. Here I have honestly smuggled that out of the quarantine zone myself. I let it out of my sight for one day and some dirt brain steals it. What has the universe come to..."  
  
Checking with Ryo-ohki she got confirmation. A single transport ship was about to drop hyperspace, just like the commander had said. Soon she would have her smuggled goods back.  
  
She arrived at the control room and glanced inside. It was close to obliterated, but at least the life-support was still working.  
  
"Hmm..this is no good. This will only scare him away. Unless..."  
  
Ryoko got a mischievous glint in the eye as she smiled. This would be fun. At last some entertainment. With an ounce of willpower she changed her clothes and waited.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi waited a short while in the cargo area, contemplating his next move. He had obviously been used to transport illegal goods. Since the crates were registered as superconductors, the company would probably be as surprised as himself.  
  
*I will have to contact GP once I drop warp, but what about the station. Someone there must know what is in the crates...*  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the ship announcing that it would return to real space in ten seconds. Tenchi hurried to the bridge, and arrived just as real space interposed itself over the warp glow in the view port.  
  
"..."  
  
Tenchi watched the view port slack-jawed. Every immediate plan he had was pushed aside by the sight on his main screen.  
  
The station of the screen had a fuzzy appearance, due to the cloud debris around it. It was littered with burnt and melted holes, and many places parts had been blown off. An entire section was severed from the rest and slowly drifting away.  
  
Tenchi had never seen space combat himself, and this wreckage was so real compared to those shown in the newscasts. The eerie silence was getting to him, and he initiated a scan while trying to regain his composure.  
  
A soft 'ping' announced the completion of the scan.  
  
"Hmm..Life-support and artificial gravity are still working. The main section is still habitable. But there is only one life sign. I wonder what could have done this."  
  
Remembering the standard procedure in cases like this, Tenchi sent a message to the GP and attempted to contact the station. It was soon obvious that every means of communicating from the station had been destroyed.  
  
"Since it is habitable and seems stable, I better find out what the life sign is. Somebody might need help."  
  
Tenchi maneuvered his ship closer, and docked close to the control room. He was nervous, a bit scared, and the ghost like silence of the station was getting to him. He made his way to the control room half-running, looking over his shoulder at times. Even though he knew that there was only one life sign, he didn't feel very safe.  
  
The steel door to the bridge had almost been destroyed by something. Tenchi didn't know much about all the exotic weapon types in circulation, but he guessed that it was some sort of plasma weapon. Through the holes in the steel doors, Tenchi could see the more durable blast doors, which seemed in better shape. The surface was mostly intact, and there was no breaches.  
  
Tenchi looked at the door control panel, and was surprised to find that the door was unlocked. Hiding himself from view, Tenchi pressed the open button.  
  
With a creaking sound the blast doors moved aside, and Tenchi peeked around the corner to see what was in the control room.  
  
"..."  
  
For the second time that day Tenchi lost control of his jaw. The insides of the control room seemed worse off than the rest of the station. Almost every metal surface seemed slightly melted, and no control panels were visible.  
  
Then Tenchi spotted the figure curled up at the far wall. Convinced that it was no threat, he collected himself and entered the room.  
  
Getting closer he could make out more details. The figure was apparently female. Her uniform hung in tatters, exposing her soft flesh in places. Her cyan hair was a mess underneath the black commander's cap, but she didn't appear to be wounded anywhere.  
  
When he got close enough she turned around to look at him, and then launched herself at him. For a millisecond Tenchi berated himself for letting his guard down. It was a trap and now he had fallen for it. However instead of attacking him, she embraced him and buried her head in his shoulder.  
  
"Please help me! I am so scared.."  
  
Her voice sounded shaky and desperate, and Tenchi brought up his own arms to hug and comfort her. Apparently this was a survivor after all.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Ten minutes later she seemed to have calmed down somewhat. He had moved them to his ship, and was now slowly getting her story.  
  
"Then suddenly they were there... two warships with the space pirate skull-and-crossbones painting on their hulls....they attacked...killed everyone..."  
  
"Sshhh..it's all right now..they are gone already, and the GP will soon arrive...you are safe now."  
  
Tenchi was still comforting her in his arms, as the traumatic experience still seemed to affect her a bit.  
  
"You don't have to say anymore. I understand. Why don't you take a hot shower and get into some new clothes, while I confirm the call with the GP. You'll feel better afterwards."  
  
Ryoko reluctantly agreed and slowly but gracefully moved towards the small living quarters of the ship. As Tenchi watched her go, he noticed that the tears in her otherwise sexless uniform had made it quite revealing. It was no longer able to conceal her magnificent body, and Tenchi blushed slightly at the sight.  
  
Making his way to the bridge he cleared his head of some naughty thoughts of how she could repay him for the 'rescue'.  
  
"Baka..I am getting as hentai as my father...seriously..."  
  
Sitting down at the communications panel he hoped to get some distraction from the sight of her imprinted in his minds eye.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Ryoko sighed to herself in the hot shower. She had planned to knock him out and steal his cargo at the first opportunity, but something held her back.  
  
*Still blocking all transmissions, Ryo-Ohki?*  
  
She mentally checked with her partner. The reply in her mind was prompt.  
  
*Miyaa*  
  
*Good. We don't want the Geepees here yet.*  
  
*Miya?*  
  
*I dunno..It's just different this time.*  
  
*Miyaaa*  
  
*Yeah...I guess he is just genuinely nice.*  
  
*Miya*  
  
*And cute too.*  
  
She made up her mind. The plan would only be altered slightly, and she would get what she originally came for anyway. Besides, she always did what she wanted.  
  
With a touch command she stopped her shower. The automated program proceeded to dry her, but halfway through the process she stopped it. With a bit of concentration she materialized an old-fashioned towel, and wrapped it about her slightly damp body. She made sure to show plenty cleavage and adjusted the length to barely below her hips.  
  
Looking herself over in the mirror, she adjusted her hair and winked at her mirror image.  
  
"You are one naughty demon..."  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi was a bit frustrated with communications. In all the practice and exercises, the uplink had worked flawlessly. Now on his first real flight and first real emergency, he couldn't even contact the GP.  
  
Deciding that there was nothing to do about it, he sent out another distress signal for the ruined station and went back to his quarters. As he passed the bathroom he heard the automatic shower shift to drying mode.  
  
*I guess she will be out of there soon.*  
  
Tenchi smiled to himself as he remembered her looks. Then sighed as he realized that it was probably just another nice... gorgeous girl he would never even work up the courage to ask out on a date.  
  
Tenchi had just made it inside his personal quarters when a melodic voice behind him chimed: "Tenchiii..",  
  
He turned around and all conscious thought fled him. Three meters behind him, in the doorway, stood Ryoko. The towel she wore hardly covered her nipples, and seemed so short that exposing anymore would move directly to NC-17. The towel was slightly damp and clung to her curvaceous body leaving nothing to the imagination. Her sleek skin was also damp and glistening from the fine sheen of moisture. Her wild cyan hair was ruffled and moist, making her look like a wet swimsuit model. Her bangs were resting on the ample platform of her breasts.  
  
Tenchi's mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but no sound came as the melted jell-o that was his brain refused to come up with a comment.  
  
The steamy gaze in her golden feline orbs held Tenchi rooted to the spot as she approached in a most alluring walk. The sway in her hips would almost but not quite move the towel enough to reveal her natural hair color, and the light bounce in her full breasts almost had Tenchi's eyes bobbing up and down in rhythmical fashion.  
  
Ryoko stopped very close to Tenchi, putting one hand on his shoulder and gently tracing the outline of his jaw with the other.  
  
"I want to thank you Tenchi. For rescuing me. For comforting me."  
  
"..."  
  
Tenchi's mind was in overdrive as it tried to accommodate for this new situation and find a proper response.  
  
"Please. Let me be with you. Tenchiii."  
  
"Um..I wouldn't want t-to take advan"  
  
Tenchi's half-witted protest was cut off as Ryoko leaned in and kissed him. She took advantage of his open mouth and french-kissed him for half a minute, pressing her body close against his.   
  
As she broke the kiss but not the embrace, Tenchi murmured softly.  
  
"When you put it that way..."  
  
They kissed again and Tenchi was loosing himself in a haze of passion like Ryoko. They joined on the bed, in an unreal fantasy. In some surreal moments they were complete, caught up in the act which by far superseded mere physical actions.  
  
Then it was over, and Tenchi relaxed with a strange satisfied feeling of fulfillment. They lay there side by side in his bed, enjoying the warmth of each others bodies. No words were spoken, and none were necessary. Tenchi lost track of time, and soon after fell asleep in her embrace.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Ryoko was feeling a little odd as Ryo-ohki drifted away from the transporter. She couldn't quite place the feeling. Was it loneliness?   
  
*No, it couldn't be*  
  
Ryoko tried to convince herself.  
  
*That is impossible. I have been 3000 years with just Ryo-ohki for company.*  
  
It was sure not guilt. She had never felt guilt about anything, so why should doing 'it' with a man and making off with his cargo once he is asleep be any different?  
  
Something deep inside her insisted that it had been more than sex. It had been making love. However she conveniently ignored this. After all she didn't fall in love. Especially not with a Terran in two hours. Even if he was unselfish, caring, honest..and maybe a bit cute...  
  
"Ryo-ohki. Set for the third Engoloc moon.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi woke up with feeling something missing. He realized that he was the only person in the bed, and for once that was not what he had expected. Unable to see her in the room panicked him for a short while, but he calmed himself.  
  
*Baka. She has a right to be up before you, you know.*  
  
Looking at the partly torn clothing, he couldn't help but sighing at the fond memories of their encounter. He dressed in a new set of clothes while trying to sort out the whole thing mentally.  
  
*There could be a thousand reasons why she is up before me. She is probably just elsewhere on the ship.*  
  
However Tenchi couldn't help a sneaking feeling of dread. What if she was not on the ship? He berated himself. She had every right to do what she wanted, even leave. She had said that it was just thanks for rescuing her, had she not?  
  
Tenchi stopped in his tracks. Why was it that it meant so much to him?  
  
*Could it be I have.. feelings for her?*  
  
He made it to the cockpit and was mildly disappointed not to find her there either. A few key presses initiated a scan of the ship and station. Tenchi looked at the results and deflated with a sigh. Only one life sign; himself. His mystery girl was gone, like a dream when you wake up in the morning.  
  
Looking over the rest of the scan data, Tenchi found something else missing.  
  
*The cargo. All the illegal chocolate is..gone..like..*  
  
Tenchi slapped himself on the forehead.  
  
*Baka! You meet the girl of your dreams and jump in bed with her after two hours. Way to go, Romeo - Some relationship. No wonder she takes off with your cargo.*  
  
A beeping noise from the communications console indicated a ship hailing him. A quick glance at the short range display confirmed that two GP patrollers had dropped warp close to him. With a sigh he routed communications to main screen and answered the hail.  
  
"This is the Galaxy Police Patrol Cruiser Yagami responding to a distress signal from General Purpose Transporter Mule-72, please confirm your identity."  
  
Tenchi's eyes bulged a bit as he recognized the detective. The red headband was a dead giveaway. She was the GP official from his flight license test.  
  
"This is General Purpose Transporter Mule-72 confirming... Detective Makibi, isn't it?"  
  
The woman on the big screen hid her surprise well, and after a few seconds the light of recognition shone in her eyes.  
  
"Yes it is, Masaki-san. Mind if we board to go through this?"  
  
"No. Go right ahead."  
  
---=-=---  
  
".. after which she went to sleep. When I woke up about half an hour ago, there was no sign of her or my cargo."  
  
Tenchi finished his slightly edited explanation of what had happened. He was not fond of lying to the police, but he couldn't talk about what she had been doing to get him so tired. He didn't feel it had any relevance to the case anyway.  
  
"Did you at any time detect other ships in the area?"  
  
"No. The computer would have alerted me. You can check the log if you like."  
  
"Ok. Could you describe the woman you mentioned?"  
  
Tenchi blushed slightly as he recalled her every detail in the nude. Composing himself he started the description.  
  
"She had cyan hair. I think about shoulder length. Light complexion. Golden eyes. About my height. Athletic build."  
  
Tenchi was interrupted by Kiyone. She had brought her GP-issued holopen up and recalled a picture.  
  
"Did she look like this?"  
  
Tenchi gaped. It was a very matching photo, and there was no doubt that his mystery girl was the one in the photo. Only in the photo she had a huge malevolent smile, and the right third of her face was painted black like some sort of war paint.  
  
Kiyone answered his unspoken question.  
  
"That is the space pirate Ryoko. You really didn't recognize her when you first met her?"  
  
"No. I just got my license so I don't know about every space pirate out there."  
  
Tenchi answered with a shrug.  
  
"True. I didn't expect you to know every space pirate."  
  
Tenchi was slightly relived that he wasn't expected to know about Ryoko.  
  
"Only Ryoko isn't every space pirate. She is the most wanted space pirate. In the universe!"  
  
He almost fell over at this. It seemed so unreal. The nice girl he had comforted and laid with was the most wanted space pirate in the known universe. Some part of him was also relived.  
  
*So that was why she stole my cargo and fled. That is what space pirates do. It wasn't just because of me.*  
  
A small ray of hope entered him.  
  
*Maybe she still likes me..just a bit.*  
  
However depression soon claimed him again. How exactly do one go about meeting the most wanted space pirate in the universe again? Could she really like him the way he liked.. loved?.. her? His thoughts were interrupted by Kiyone again.  
  
"Well, I guess that concludes the investigation. Look at it this way; if you had to be plundered by pirates, Ryoko is probably the best thing that could happen to you."  
  
"Eh..why?"  
  
"Because it will have no influence on your job. Being plundered by Ryoko is just as improbable as getting hit by a stray meteor. And she is just as unstoppable. You can never be held responsible for an encounter with her. Had it been any other pirate your company might have questioned your actions in the episode."  
  
"So..are you going to capture her?"  
  
The otherwise neutral and calculating face of Kiyone broke. She tried to control herself, but shortly after she burst out laughing.  
  
"Ahahaha..yes..haha..in my dreams most likely..hehe..capture Ryoko..*snicker* that was a good one."  
  
Tenchi looked confuse and slightly offended. Kiyone gathered herself and apologized.  
  
"Sorry, but you really haven't heard much about Ryoko, have you?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"Well, she has been known to us for the greater part of 3000 years. She has been top listed for 2500 of those. If we could catch her, we would have done so by now. We still have a special unit dedicated to arrest her, but nobody expects them to succeed, probably not even themselves. The rest of the universe seem content to regard her as some kind of force of nature."  
  
Tenchi stood speechless, trying to unite this new picture of Ryoko with the girl he had made love to not ten hours prior. No matter how much he tried he couldn't think of them as the same person.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Not much in the way of notes here.  
As you may have noticed, this is the first part of three, all about this special version of the TM!Universe continuity. The second part will introduce more of the regular characters and start detailing their background.  
  
Please feed the author. Comments/Reviews/Advice/Praise/Criticism will do.  
  
-(j@todain.net) 


	2. Twice is Coincidence

All your Tenchi Muyo are belong to AIC/Pioneer....  
Seriously tho: Tenchi Muyo and its characters are the property of AIC and Pioneer. I am using them here without permission.  
Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!  
  
ATTENTION: This is rated R!  
This means that the story contains references to sex, and/or graphic violence and bad language. (Equivalent of "Lime")  
  
  
  
  
-  
  
Another Altaverse Trilogy  
Part: 2  
  
Twice is Coincidence  
  
-  
  
In the ink black background of space, over a small insignificant moon in the Engoloc system, two peculiar objects hovered. The first was a dark and sharp crystalline form, almost melting into the darkness of space itself. It's design was both beauty and horror in one. The second craft was bright, standing out like a beacon in the dark void. It had sleek curves and radiated grace in it's wooden form.  
  
The only two sentients in the sector were currently seated in an idyllic sunlit landscape, of the kind only found in royal tree ships. They were seated at a small natural table, sipping Goraudian tea from irreplaceable porcelain of the Twin Clay worlds Oknar and Amnar.  
  
The first of the sentients had an air of grace around her. The elegant multilayered kimono of Juraian Starsilk and captivating Alathni jewelry offset her delicate features in a most flattering fashion. The purple hair bound in twin ponytails gave way only to the intricately carved wooden tiara, which added a sense of power to the delicate figure. The calm way she sipped her tea told of her experience in the finer rituals of galactic nobility.  
Not a single sentient would have mistaken the image of First Princess Ayeka of Jurai.  
  
The second female was in many ways the reverse of the first. Her one-piece green and blue striped dress was at best plain, and the attached black tail slowly shifting from side to side emphasized an aura of chaos rather than grace. The narrow golden irises and angular ears hinted at a somewhat feline heritage. The grace in her movement was more predatory instinct than formalized ritualistic practice. The wild spiky cyan mane of hair was dominating, and her posture on the chair was one of independent confidence.  
There was no doubt about the identity of the second woman either; she could only be most wanted space pirate Ryoko.  
  
While almost no galactic citizens would doubt the identity of the two-person tea ceremony, none would ever believe those two would be capable of sitting calmly together in the same room. Or even the same solar system for that matter. However they were as relaxed as the idyllic landscape framing the event.  
  
As fate would have it, the idle conversation was even stranger than the visual image they presented.  
  
"Ryoko-san, I should thank you on behalf of Funaho-sama. She is grateful that you were able to procure her favorite brand of chocolate. I trust it wasn't too much trouble?"  
  
"Nah.. not really."  
  
For the third time, Ryoko's short answer cut off the conversation before it even started. Ayeka noticed that Ryoko once again seemed to zone out.  
  
"Ryoko-san.. you seem awfully troubled. Is anything the matter?"  
  
"Huh?.. No.. nothing is wrong."  
  
"Ryoko.." Ayeka decided to drop some of the formality to get more personal "I know you better than that. Something is bothering you."  
  
"Hmmmm."  
  
Ayeka sighed. "You're not helping any..If I didn't know better I'd say you got boy troubles."  
  
Ryoko's poorly concealed shock gave her away instantly. Ayeka's eyes bulged at the realization that her jest had hit the spot.  
  
*By Tsunami! For 3000 years she hasn't even thought about a relationship, and now she has boy troubles? Are you really aging after all, Ryoko?*  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Nothing.."  
  
The look Ayeka gave Ryoko said that she wasn't fooled a bit. Ryoko sighed.  
  
"You're not going to give up until I say something, are you?"  
  
"Absolutely not. I need to hear it..and I think you need to talk about it."  
  
Ryoko leaned back on the chair and took a sip of her tea.  
  
"I met this guy..rookie transporter pilot I think.."  
  
Ayeka gave an enthusiastic nod.  
  
"He was just different from all the other guys. He wasn't scared of me. He was just nice. Sort of unselfishly nice. Like he cared for me even if I was a stranger.."  
  
Ayeka let Ryoko continue, guessing that she was right about Ryoko's need to get it out.  
  
".. and I guess he was sort of cute too."  
  
The play of emotions washing over Ryoko's face puzzled Ayeka. She knew some of them, but there was clearly more to this story. She decided to carefully press for details.  
  
"And? What did you do?"  
  
Ayeka wondered how the most wanted pirate would go about getting a mans attention. She doubted that the most wanted pirate in the universe would go through the usual meeting & dating rituals.  
  
"Well.. he was nice.. so I fucked him.."  
  
Ayeka almost coughed the rare Goraudian tea through her nose.  
  
"and took his cargo when he slept.."  
  
Ayeka struggled to compose herself. No, this was definitely not the usual dating practice.  
  
"it's not like I stole the cargo..I mean it was mine in the first place."  
  
Ayeka noticed how Ryoko was defending a theft. For the first time in 3000 years.  
  
*Kamisama! She is actually showing signs of conscience. This guy must really have meant something to her.. and she has a hard time even admitting it to herself.*  
  
Ayeka focused her thoughts on how to help the love struck pirate. Only how to do it seemed an immense problem. She wasn't even remotely certain what kind of advice she could give.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Detective Sergeant Nagi glanced through the two reports again. As customary, any crimes involving Ryoko were transferred to her department. These were just the latest addition to the 50 GoogleByte reports on the exploits of the most wanted space pirate in known space.  
  
However something struck her as different.  
  
*Lets see again. Somehow a shipment of illegal chocolate makes it to Nuos where the Whitefangs get hold of it. Check.*  
  
The chocolate had probably been smuggled by Ryoko. Why the Whitefangs would dare steal it from her remained a mystery, however.  
  
*The chocolate is re-packaged in super-conductor casings and shipped via. Nuos General Technology and Shipping to Akodon. Check.*  
  
Nice job probably including some bribes. But risky to have it shipped directly to the Whitefang operations center.  
  
*Ryoko nearly destroys the Akodon station. All personnel dies, most carrying illegal weaponry. Every single one is Whitefang. Check.*  
  
Apparently Ryoko discovered who stole her goods. The job on the station and the Whitefangs does seem like her usual payback style.  
  
Nagi sighed to herself. Three heavily armed ruthless Whitefang hunter-teams had been wiped out in the encounter. At times Ryoko seemed like something out of a bad horror or sci-fi movie. She moved along in her original train of thought.  
  
*The N-GTaS transporter arrives. Scan shows one survivor. The pilot moves in to help. Check.*  
  
So the chocolate wasn't on the station, and Ryoko chose to wait for it. Does one of her usual victim impersonations to avoid scaring off the pilot.  
  
*The pilot bring her to his craft. She supposedly falls asleep.*  
  
But that doesn't make sense. She always drops her disguise once her victim is in the trap. Tenchi Masaki huh? What is so special about you that got Ryoko to change her procedure?  
  
Brow furrowed in thought, Nagi absently sent the request for all files on the pilot, including those at N-GTaS.  
  
Unbeknownst to Nagi the very pirate she was thinking about had just left the Engoloc system, and the First Princess Ayeka of Jurai was currently requesting the very same documents.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi wearily made his way to the ship. Yesterday Amagasaki had decided that he needed to be cheered up after getting plundered by pirates _and_ dumped by a girl. At least he had managed not to tell that the two events actually were the same.  
  
He shook his head. The Muldoon shots had already cleared his system, but he was still tired. And he still hurt the same. He had finally realized that his chances of seeing Ryoko again were nil, no matter if she may have liked him a bit or not.   
  
*The first time I actually love a girl she turns out to be the most impossible affair in the galaxy. I might as well have fallen in love with Crown Princess Ayeka..*  
  
Sighing he boarded Mule-72 for his next assignment. At least Detective Kiyone had been right; being plundered by Ryoko had not had any negative consequences for him. Or rather: not for his job.  
  
He made it a point to check his cargo before taking off. Thirty tons of maize for some settler project on the rim. Hardly worth the cost of the transport itself.  
  
Getting back to the controls, Tenchi engaged the automatic launch sequence. The AutoNav quickly cleared him of the station and plotted a warp course for the trip. Tenchi checked the suggested course and found it to his liking.  
  
"Five hours to first warp-node. Guess I can catch up on some lost sleep then."  
  
Tenchi never noticed the spiky crystalline ship monitoring his warp jump.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Sometimes it infuriated Ayeka. This incredible impenetrable calm he radiated no matter what happened. She had thought that at least the news of the most wanted space pirate in the universe falling in love with a rookie transporter pilot could have gotten some reaction out of him.  
  
Instead he had simply adjusted his glasses and replied in a steady voice.  
  
"Hmmm.. Is that so..."  
  
Giving up her latest attempt to surprise him, Ayeka resigned herself to simply have a normal conversation and replied with a sigh.  
  
"Yes.. She was really out of it when she delivered Funaho's chocolate. This 'Tenchi Masaki' guy must have been something special."  
  
That caused a reaction.  
  
Although he quickly controlled it, there was no mistaking of the slight bulging of his eyes, and Ayeka inwardly cheered. She had finally succeeded. Why that particular bit of information was so important was beyond her however.  
  
"Yosho-sama, what is it? What about this Tenchi is so special?"  
  
Yosho turned to look at the scenery outside.  
  
"That is a complicated story, and I don't think you would like it."  
  
Ayeka's expression made it clear that she would get the story out of him one way or the other.  
  
"Tenchi is your fiance."  
  
Ayeka was about to choke on her tea for the second time that day. She quickly regained her composure.  
  
"But why? I looked through his files, and he is nobody really. I know that I can expect to marry for political reasons, but Tenchi doesn't even know anyone who figures in the political game."  
  
"He has another quality though."  
  
Yosho appeared to think for a moment, and Ayeka was just about to ask him for an explanation. However he turned to her with a mysterious expression, light reflecting off his glasses as he answered with a question.  
  
"Tell me, what do you know about the breeding programme?"  
  
The look of bewilderment on Ayeka's face spoke clearly.  
  
"Breeding programme?"  
  
"At a certain stage, every powerful culture 'invents' the breeding programme. Arranging for chosen people to have children, the puppeteers of the programme hope to breed certain characteristics into the offspring of these selected unions. Given enough time and generations, this can actually produce surprising results."  
  
Ayeka did the mental math and followed up.  
  
"So Tenchi is part of our breeding programme, and 'they' have chosen me to bear the next generation of it?"  
  
Yosho merely nodded in response. Ayeka didn't know quite what to make of this. She had expected a marriage of duty, but this made her feel like a lab rat in a breeding experiment. And just who had the authority to include the First Princess in a grand plan she had never even heard about?  
  
She absently excused herself to Yosho and made her way towards her ship still thinking. She had a feeling that things still did not add up.  
  
As she entered her ship, she noticed a piece of holo-art she kept on the bridge. The blue-haired girl with the soft smile in the picture made her wonder.  
  
*Is that why you left sister? Because of things I am only starting to discover?*  
  
---=-=---  
  
Ryoko sat in the unconsciously summoned command chair, looking at the transporter slowly making it's way through space. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could almost feel the presence of Tenchi on the dull grey craft.  
  
She had many new feelings towards this Terran. Most of them she couldn't make sense of, like the warm and fuzzy feeling when she thought about him. Which was quite often. She just couldn't seem to go very long without her thoughts turning to him.  
  
There was one feeling however. She felt like she knew him. Like some part of her recognized him. It was to this feeling she credited her unusual actions on his ship. No matter how cute or caring, there was no way she would act like she did to a complete stranger. But Tenchi felt familiar in some way.  
  
Ryoko sighed. One of the secrets to staying sane for 3000 years of life was knowing what to remember and what to forget. It bothered her on some instinctual level that most of what she experienced, she would eventually forget. Which was probably the deal with Tenchi. Some part of her remembered him, even though she had consciously forgotten him.  
  
A corner of her mind silently vetoed that he had to be more than a thousand years old for her to have forgotten him, and he couldn't be a day over five-hundred. Even if he was royal Juraian with extended lifespan.  
  
As the transporter neared the warp-node, Ryoko shook herself out of her musings and decided on a course of action.  
  
*Ayeka did suggest I take him on a date.*  
  
A sly grin spread across her face.  
  
*And 'Take' doesn't really imply asking.*  
  
---=-=---  
  
The fields spreading over the open areas of the valley were quite primitive. At least they seemed so to Ayeka, who hadn't seen open fields since the Ekusas Rice Company had demonstrated their latest harvesting technology on one of their agriculture planets. However she admitted to herself that the old ways did have a certain charm, a point reinforced by the beautiful woman tending to the fields by hand.  
  
Approaching, she addressed the woman in the proper manner for the situation.  
  
"Sister!"  
  
The woman turned around, blue hair flowing in the breeze, and her purple eyes lit up with the smile gracing her handsome features.  
  
"Little sister!"  
  
The two reached each other and embraced in a warm sisterly hug. After enjoying the closeness a few minutes they parted again, and started walking towards the nearby forest.  
  
"What are those fields really? I was not aware that you had taken up farming?"  
  
"Oh, it is nothing as serious as that. Just a vegetable unique to the planet that Ryo-ohki has taken a liking to."  
  
"Really? Have you spoken to Ryoko recently?"  
  
"Yes, about a month ago when she was here to pick up some chocolate for Funaho."  
  
The two entered the forest path leading to a secluded shrine, and Ayeka decided to gently turn the conversation in the direction of recent events.  
  
"So you have not heard that she found a boyfriend?"  
  
The woman was not as much shocked, as she was happy.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. She met this pilot... Tenchi Masaki."  
  
Because she was looking for it, Ayeka noticed the slight flinch her sister made when hearing his name. Looking for further reactions out the corner of her eye, she continued.  
  
"Yosho was quite surprised at this. Turned out he already knew Tenchi."  
  
A slight shadow had fallen over her sisters features, and the joy from earlier had dissipated.  
  
"He told you, didn't he?"  
  
With the recently acquired knowledge from Yosho, it was quite apparent to Ayeka what the question was referring to.  
  
"About the breeding programme? Yes."  
  
Turning to face her sister and gently taking her hand, she continued.  
  
"Was that why you left?"  
  
"No... but it is a part of the story."  
  
Ayeka's feeling that she only had a small bit of the complete picture was only reinforced by this. She was broken out of her thoughts when her sister gently tugged her hand.  
  
"Come, lets get up to the shrine. You will need to know the rest of the story now."  
  
The unusual seriousness in her words and expression did not go unnoticed. They completed their trek in a brooding silence.  
  
Once at the shrine, Ayeka found a seat while her sister prepared tea. She idly noticed that this was the third time in twice that many days she sat down for a cup of tea that would change her world view. It made her wonder in irony how many times she would be coughing tea through her nose this time.  
  
When her sister finally entered, she had brought a metallic box in addition to the tea.  
  
After serving them both, her sister looked her in the eyes with a somewhat sad expression and sighed.  
  
"This is quite a tragic piece of history, but I guess this is what you came here for."  
  
She paused slightly, then begun the tale.  
  
"About 3200 years ago, a small world close to the center of the galaxy invented their first Faster-Than-Light craft. As in similar cases, they were welcomed into the galactic community at an audience with the emperor. But as fate would have it, the Akumaneko were different from all other cases."  
  
~~~  
  
"Your grace! The Akumaneko delegates have arrived and are awaiting audience."  
  
"Good. Duke Yamoto, has JIA found evidence of the rumored power?"  
  
Duke Yamoto in his councilor position to the left of the throne was slightly nervous. The news he had were not good."  
  
"Yes they have, your eminence. It has been verified that their royal family possess a power not unlike the Jurai power."  
  
The Emperor frowned slightly. This was not good. The news had not spread to the galaxy yet, but it once it got out..."  
  
~~~  
  
Ayeka was puzzled about this.  
  
"Why would that be so much trouble?"  
  
"Because in common knowledge, the Jurai are the only ones with the power. Most believe that it has been granted by Kami-sama, and signifies Jurai's right to rule the most of the known Universe."  
  
Comprehension dawned on Ayeka's face.  
  
"I see. If another species were to possess a similar power..."  
  
"Exactly. So it was with a troubled mind the Emperor greeted the Akumaneko that day."  
  
~~~  
  
"Your Imperial Majesty, there is one last custom we wish to honor."  
  
The exotic looking delegation had their heads bowed in respect, as the Akumaneko Patriarch made the request. On a nod from the Emperor, the Patriarch continued.  
  
"It is a custom amongst my people to offer the finest of the harem as a token of respect."  
  
He gestured with his arms to the double doors of the throne room, where a young Akumaneko female entered. There was a short moment of unease in the room before the gathered Juraians all controlled their reactions to the seductive beauty gracefully making her way across the floor to bow at the throne.  
  
"This is Natsume. In respect for the Jurai Empire I offer her to you."  
  
~~~  
  
"And so it came to pass that an Akumaneko was added to the palace servants. Of course the Emperor didn't have a harem for her to join as was the custom of her people, but she fit in fine."  
  
"Yes, but those events are recorded in the palace library, and I still don't see a connection to Tenchi."  
  
After pouring a bit more tea, she looked at Ayeka with the smile that she knew oh-so-well from her mother. Misaki always smiled that way when she had some juicy palace gossip.  
  
"You didn't just think that the Emperor could let a little hot thing like Natsume go, did you? Especially when the girl had been raised and trained for a harem?"  
  
Prepared as she was, Ayeka managed not to choke on her tea. However the playful tone left her sister as she continued.  
  
"Four months after she arrived, Natsume got pregnant. To avoid a scandal she was sent to a royal resort planet without space capability. She gave birth to a little girl with a lovely mane of cyan hair."  
  
"Ryoko..."  
  
"Then they both vanished without a trace."  
  
"So Ryoko is grandfather's illegitimate daughter."  
  
"Yes. but the real trouble doesn't begin until you add the breeding programme."  
  
Ayeka looked at her quizzically, and she resumed her explanation.  
  
"A couple of years after Natsume disappeared, JIA spies found evidence that the Akumaneko were running their own breeding programme. Had in fact been doing so for longer than ourselves."  
  
It was clear that Ayeka was piecing together a startling realization when her sister delivered the answers.  
  
"Natsume was no harem girl. She was a princess of the royal family, complete with powers and all. And her heritage was a breeding programme running back some ten thousand years, aiming for pure power."  
  
Casting a glance at the somewhat more pale Ayeka, she confirmed her fears.  
  
"They sent her to us in the guise of an age old local ritual, as a part of their breeding programme. They managed to mate their chosen with the emperor of the self-appointed 'most powerful empire in the galaxy'."  
  
"But once the Emperor found out he would..."  
  
An icy chill ran down her back when she put together the next pieces of the puzzle. She looked deep into her sister's eyes for reactions as she posed the question she was afraid of the answer to.  
  
"It was us, wasn't it? The Nekoheim annihilation."  
  
With a heavy sadness and traces of tears evident in her eyes, she confirmed.  
  
"Yes. The emperor signed the order on the anniversary of Ryoko's birth. Two days later 'terrorists' fractal-bombed Nekoheim."  
  
"He committed .. genocide .. in revenge .. and Ryoko..."  
  
"So now you know why I left. Why First Princess Sasami Jurai is no more."  
  
Sasami had opened the metal box she brought with her to the room. It contained what Ayeka guessed was the only existing copies of the fateful orders. Amidst an authorization for preparation of an experimental stealth craft and an invoice from a secret lab detailing a fractal warhead, Ayeka spotted a holoshot.  
  
It could have been a piece of art, with the captivating multicolored pattern seeming to repeat itself indefinitely on the ink-black background of space.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Kiyone was bored. Of course most people would never believe that. After all, Kiyone was transferred to the special unit formed to capture Ryoko. What could be more exciting than being in hot pursuit of the most wanted space pirate in existence?  
  
The answer was: anything short of being stationed at a primitive planet in a specially protected area.  
  
What few outsiders knew was that the special unit saw less action than a patrol job in a peaceful section of the outer rim. For this reason a transfer to the unit was regarded as a warning. If you screwed up you were assigned to the unit for a year or two. If you screwed up again you were assigned to a primitive planet somewhere in the backwaters of the galaxy.  
  
Looking to her right, Kiyone saw the sleeping form of the reason she was assigned to the special unit. It had blonde hair gently framing the peaceful face. The currently closed eyes were an innocent sky blue, and the currently silent voice was always cheerful.  
  
It was usually known as Mihoshi. Kiyone knew better. She had already seen through the disguise of who must be Finagle's prophet. Probably for that reason she was struck with this icon of disaster.  
  
A beeping noise alerted her to the hail from HQ. She answered the hail and Detective Sergeant Nagi appeared on the screen.  
  
"Detective First Class Kiyone reporting from the Yagami."  
  
Nagi glanced in the direction of the still sleeping Mihoshi, but did not mention it. She knew Mihoshi well enough to prefer her asleep.  
  
"I have new orders, overriding your current assignment. Travel to the Oopmahs system warp-node and await the arrival of General Purpose Transporter Mule-72."  
  
Kiyone's eyes lit up in recognition of the name.  
  
"Once he arrives you follow him on his path, but make sure to stay undetected. You may consider him bait. Any questions?"  
  
Kiyone studied the mission data quickly, then asked.  
  
"He is transporting maize. What kind of loony would steal that?"  
  
"Just do it. Call it a hunch."  
  
The screen winked out with the words 'Transmission Closed by Remote Part'.  
  
While plotting a course, Kiyone internally debated whether or not to wake Mihoshi. The decision was taken from her when Mihoshi spoke.  
  
"Oooh. That was a nice nap... Kiyone.. are you plotting a course? Where are we going?"  
  
Kiyone sighed.  
  
"To the Oopmahs warp-node. Orders from headquarters. Nagi thinks Ryoko will rob a transport of maize.."  
  
Oblivious to the sarcasm in Kiyone's words, Mihoshi cheerfully replied.  
  
"Oh, that is so exciting! Don't you think so Kiyone?"  
  
Wearily Kiyone replied  
  
"Yes, very."  
  
---=-=---  
  
Back in the comforting embrace of her tree-ship, Ayeka contemplated the revelations of the past day. It was certainly shocking news that 'her' empire was responsible for wiping a planet off the galactic charts with forbidden technology. Even if it happened before she was born, it was a black stain on the conscience and honor of the empire, and implicitly, a stain on her own conscience.  
  
She had often wondered about Ryoko's apparent immortality and powers, but the truth was beyond even her wildest imaginations.  
  
Ayeka considered herself excellent at the political games played at the Juraian court, but breeding programmes spanning thousands of years across the galaxy? The scope was an order of magnitude larger than anything she had witnessed.  
  
As she pieced together everything it became clear to her that a grand game was being played above her head, possibly with the fate of the empire at stake. And she wanted in. She wanted to know what was going on, and she wanted to influence the game.  
  
More than anything she wanted back in control. She had always felt that her position in the empire combined with her political skills gave her a measure of control on the highest level. Now she was just a pawn on a level she had never known existed.  
  
With this new perspective on things, one thing became clear. She whispered to herself.  
  
"Information... I need more information."  
  
With a mental command to her tree, she set course for Jurai and the Vault.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Tenchi was dreaming. A very strange dream admittedly, but still a dream.  
  
He was dreaming that he woke up wondering about this soft warm feeling on his chest. Having finally gotten his eyes open, he had observed the peacefully sleeping form of Ryoko hugging him tightly, an arm around his chest. A very warm and very nude Ryoko pressed very tightly against his body.  
  
So that was why it was a dream. Because it was the sort of thing he would dream about.  
  
Or maybe he had had a nightmare. Maybe he had fallen asleep in her embrace after their night of passion, and he had a nightmare about her leaving him. And now he was awake and that was all a dream.  
  
It was pretty confusing to Tenchi, who was still staring entranced at the sleeping beauty cuddled up to him. Dream or not.  
  
As his mental processes picked up momentum, he forced his gaze away from Ryoko and looked around.  
  
He almost forgot to breathe, stunned by the sight.  
  
The two of them was on a blank crystalline floor, floating in the void of space. Apart from the slightly reflective floor there was nothing but space. Just in front of them and above them was the most breathtaking sight of them all.  
  
A blue-white dwarf and a larger deep red giant were captured on the edge of a black hole. Their brilliant coronas mixed in a fiery dance of blue, red, white and orange colors. The edges of this chaotic sea was slowly flowing into the black vortex in a complex multicolored swirl. The entire image was framed by the ink black space sporadically spotted with stars, and it was mirrored on the blank crystalline floor.  
  
The logic part of Tenchi's brain would by now have deduced that there was some kind of shield connected to the floor. Partly too keep them supplied with air, and partly to filter the light so they could look directly at the suns.  
  
However the logic part was very far from Tenchi's attention at the moment.  
  
A soft melodic voice did however catch his attention.  
  
"Good morning, Tenchi."  
  
He looked down and found those deep golden orbs making eye contact.  
  
"Good morning Ryoko."  
  
They spent a moment in silence, watching the stellar phenomenon before Ryoko spoke.  
  
"Tenchi.. would you go on a date with me?"  
  
Tenchi was taken by surprise. According to his father, the guy was supposed to plan the evening and ask the girl out. This had bothered him since he met Ryoko, because he never thought he would ever get the chance to ask her out. And what did one do on a date with the most wanted space pirate anyway?  
  
Ryoko began doubting the wisdom in Ayeka's advice when she saw the incertainity in his expression. However her worries ended when he replied.  
  
"Yes.. I would love to go on a date with you."  
  
He mentally decided that he liked having her taking charge of matters when his own insecurity and shyness held him back.  
  
"By the way, where are we?"  
  
"On Ryo-Ohki. My ship.. among other things."  
  
"And my ship?"  
  
"Heading towards the outer rim on auto pilot. If we get you back to it before it arrives, no one will know you were gone."  
  
Tenchi breathed a sigh in relief. Somehow he didn't feel ready to explain what he was doing to the rest of the galaxy.  
  
---=-=---  
  
The Vault was one of the most restricted areas in the royal palace. Like the royal Tree Nursery, the security clearance alone took ten standard galactic years. Unless, of course, you were the first princess of the royal family.  
  
Ayeka was sitting in the sleek wooden chair in front of an isle of grass surrounded by clear water. On the isle, a huge Juraian tree towered, shading her from the hot light of the artificial sun. This tree was the interface to the Vault. Operated only by royal keys, the tree could grant access to any of the infinite knowledge stored in the Vault.  
  
Ayeka mentally prepared herself, and sent the command. Her tiara glowed briefly and the tree responded with rays of multicolored lights. Reality seemed to fade away as three-dimensional images of the past were brought to life once more.  
  
Curiously the princess observed history replay itself literally, as the first Akumaneko audience with the Emperor took place before her. She noted how the members of the delegation resembled Ryoko in many ways. The same feline characteristics like fangs, slitted eyes and predatory grace. Most startling was the hair. Like Ryoko's, their hair was a wild, spiky unruly chaos, in all colors imaginable.  
  
The audience calmly proceeded, and didn't seem much out of the ordinary until that last request. As Natsume walked in, Ayeka froze the image and studied her closely.  
  
*So this is your mother, Ryoko. Princess of an empire destroyed by my ancestors...*  
  
There was no real mistaking it. Ryoko was in many ways her mothers child. At least physically. The same eyes, same features.  
  
"She looks a lot like her mother, doesn't she?"  
  
Ayeka almost jumped out of the chair, startled by the sudden voice. She turned around to see Empress Funaho, standing behind her. Sighing in relief, she answered.  
  
"Yes, she certainly does. How did you know?"  
  
"As chief of JIA, knowing is my job."  
  
Funaho smiled and continued.  
  
"I heard you visited Sasami, so when you went down here I figured she told you."  
  
Ayeka mentally nodded. It figured that Funaho would know of all this. She had to be one of the key players in the larger game.  
  
"He sure did. Hard to believe she is a princess. Even if her empire is gone."  
  
Funaho, who until now had maintained a calm neutral expression, raised her left eyebrow in wonder.  
  
"Gone? Jurai is still here."  
  
Ayeka was slightly puzzled until she turned matters over in her head once more.  
  
"Oh. I guess you are right, she is also a princess of Jurai."  
  
"Also? What else would she be a princess of?"  
  
"Nekoheim if it still existed."  
  
The answer only had Funaho more puzzled.  
  
"The Akumaneko home world. Why would she be in their line of ascension?"  
  
"Because her mother was an Akumaneko princess of course."  
  
"She was?"  
  
"Yes, of course. She was the brightest product of their breeding programme after all. This was the reason she was chosen to mate with our Emperor, remember?"  
  
The look on Funaho's face left no doubt that this was the first time she heard these particular details. It was also apparent that she was putting together new and old facts fast. Ayeka raised an eyebrow as she realized something.  
  
*The old evidence the JIA found of the Akumaneko breeding programme must have been erased when the emperor covered his tracks after obliterating Nekoheim.*  
  
This realization however brought another question to her mind.  
  
"But I thought you had planned the meeting of Ryoko and Tenchi in order to assimilate the Akumaneko breeding programme into our own?"  
  
The color draining from Funaho's face was all the answer she needed.  
  
*Kamisama! Even 3000 years later and we are still being played like puppets.*  
  
---=-=---  
  
"Kiyoneee. How much longer are we going to do this?"  
  
Kiyone sighed. They had only been following Mule-72 for a couple of hours, and Mihoshi was already complaining.  
  
"There is still six hours before we reach a main jump point. Try to relax a bit Mihoshi."  
  
"But Kiyoneee. I'm hungry! We haven't eaten since we left Ihcadok..."  
  
At least Mihoshi had a valid point. Kiyone herself was getting pretty hungry.  
  
"The Essuom warp-node is ten minutes ahead. I think it has a Ramen place...'Nekohanten' or something like that."  
  
"Yay! You think they have Traali Tree-Critter Ramen? Can you remember the time they served that in the 6th section cantina, but had ordered live Tree-Critters by accident? And then they all got loose in the kitchen..."  
  
Kiyone tried to shut the sound of her partner out. She remembered the incident very well, but that was probably because it was Mihoshi's fault in the first place. Somehow it always was.  
  
*I guess it was pure luck that a runaway B-class criminal stumbled over one of the 'critters and knocked himself out. Else we might have been transferred to this section a long time ago.*  
  
---=-=---  
  
The diminutive figure of a red haired Akumaneko girl was easily dwarfed by the size of the main screen in the bridge of her craft. Her voice, however, easily drowned out the sounds associated with the picture on the screen.  
  
"Yatta! I simply am the best. I knew I could get those two together."  
  
A young man garbed in flowing Juraian clothing watched the scene with less satisfaction.  
  
"Why pair the fruit of our work with this...boy?"  
  
"MY work. Don't ever forget that. I can pair her with whomever I see fit."  
  
"But why him? There are so many better candidates."  
  
The girl scowled at that, but kept her back to him.  
  
*Better candidates like you? Don't think I don't know what you want.*  
  
"No there isn't. According to my calculations he is the best. Besides this is an excellent way to get back at Jurai."  
  
The man managed to hide his dissatisfied expression.  
  
*They obliterated your home world, and the best revenge you can think of is to breed an unimportant Jurai citizen with _her_? Perhaps it is getting time to take charge of matters after all.*  
  
---=-=---  
  
Hand in hand the two lovers stood watching the approaching spaceship. It had arrived at the final warp-node before it's destination a couple of minutes later than them, and was floating in position for the last jump. They both knew that this was the last chance for Tenchi to get back on his ship, and effectively the end of their date.  
  
To Tenchi the dull metallic grey of his ship was a good analogy to the life he would be returning to. Just a few days he was excited by the prospect of flying even a ship himself. Now returning to the same ship was rather depressing. In just five hours Ryoko had redefined the concepts of excitement and fun for him, and now he knew that flying a simple transporter would never be able to excite him again.  
  
He was tempted to not return at all. It would be so easy to keep watching until the ship made the jump, and simply stay with Ryoko. But he knew he couldn't do that. At least not yet. He had responsibilities to people, to his family. Maybe one day.  
  
*I wonder how I will introduce her to my family in time. 'Hi Mom, Dad! This is Ryoko, my girlfriend. She is the most wanted criminal in the universe.'*  
  
Tenchi was broken out of his thoughts by a loud 'Miya' from Ryo-ohki. Another ship had just dropped warp from the same direction his transporter came from. He didn't need the ID tags shown next to the ship by Ryo-ohki or to hear Ryoko growl 'Geepees' in order to identify the ship. It was the Yagami, the ship of Kiyone.  
  
Before Tenchi could react, the surroundings flickered and was replaced by the familiar bridge of his ship. Ryoko gripped his head with both hands and kissed him thoroughly before releasing him again. She flickered out of existence while waving bye to him.  
  
---=-=---  
  
Onez Praw was looking through the GP reports of the incident while Tenchi was nervously trying to gauge his reaction. Finally Onez looked up from the screen and addressed Tenchi.  
  
"It is fortunate that the Galaxy Police was able to chase Ryoko away before she stole your cargo again."  
  
Tenchi let out a small sigh of relief. Kiyone had apparently believed that Ryoko had been trying to steal his cargo, and not discovered that they were actually returning from a date. He tensed again when Onez continued.  
  
"*However* I find it rather strange that Ryoko would steal your cargo twice. Especially considering the contents of your cargo the second time."  
  
Onez made a dramatic break to have Tenchi contemplating this before he spoke again.  
  
"They say that Once is Happenstance, Twice is Coincidence and Three times is Enemy Action. I will accept this as coincidence, but if it happens again..."  
  
---=-=---  
  
  
  
  
Thus ends the second part of the trilogy. I am most grateful that a few nice people are taking the opportunity to write reviews/comments, I can only hope that more will take the opportunity to do so.  
Third part will be out in a week or two, and will end this story arc. It will not, however, clear up nearly all loose ends. I might do that in future stories set in this altaverse though.  
  
-(j@todain.net) 


End file.
